BKKTRAVELER

I think you are misguided. It is not because of their kindness at MTT that you are still here. It is because it is officially allowed by rules approved in written by the Thai government. It is not a debate, this is a fact. Rogue agents now turning people away at CW are defying the government's official orders.

I think you scared him away ????????

Neutral party here. Rules are rules, aren't they? If Covid extensions are available until Nov 26 and requirements are already laid out, how is that fair to people applying for them if they (immigration) add new requirements? Especially if they are not official. Rules are what make the system stand. I know it is an obsolete and corrupt system but still, rules are rules. Trying to kick out foreigners at the last minute is not what will make things any better for the country. Just my opinion on the matter.

I feel for you, it seems indeed it could be very easily solved with a few stamps and yet they are making it seem impossible for whatever reason. I hope you will manage to find a suitable solution, or go see an agent tomorrow that will fix it for now. All the best.

Could you please elaborate on that? I mean, what do you need to convert back if you have an Elite visa valid until July 2022? Is there a solution maybe?

He went and was turned away at CW unfortunately

No, his last entry in Thailand was under Elite visa. Since then, he stayed here and acquired a volunteer visa through an agency. Due to this being done in another province, he needs to go through his agent to get Covid extensions. I explained in another thread. The agency price is currently 8k for Covid extension, but since he arrived last through Elite, they charge 10k. Things are complicated here sometimes, go figure.. Anyway, he'd love to avoid paying 10k this time but will probably not be able to escape it. I haven't seen any news about this amnesty yet in internationals newspapers.

My friend already sent his passport to his agency for a covid extension and is waiting to hear more before they ask for the money transfer. Because he landed in Thailand last under Elite, they are charging him 10k, so it makes a difference for him... Bad timing for him as I don't see anything being official until a later date.

He said when they saw the volunteer visa they passed the passport to a manager and they came back to say because it was in another province it couldn't be done. They said because of this foundation where he was "volunteer" for. They said to contact his agent. He didn't mention anything prior. They just knew. Most likely, this province is known for issuing these visas for agencies. So, they must have guessed (and guessed right). He said ok and contacted his agent. That's all I know. Basically, he'll have to keep using the agent (me as well I guess) until he leaves the country and come back with a clean(er) state I guess.

Ok, so my friend went to immigration today. He stopped at CW first to make sure he could do the extension before going for his TM30 at MTT. They told him that he needed the TM30 indeed because his last Covid extension was made in another province and he needed to be registered in Bkk. But they then checked his last visa, which like me he did a volunteer visa after his Elite expired. Since the volunteer was made in another province as well, they turned him away saying that they can't do the Covid extension at CW. They suggested to contact his visa agent. Bottom line, he will bite the bullet as I suggested him and go back to his agent tomorrow. Hope this report will help some in similar situations.

Sorry if I annoyed you somehow, sometimes I ask what you would consider stupid questions but that's also the point of the forum. I'm still learning about immigration rules and I'm glad so many of you are eager to share information and correct "nonsense" questions. Since I'm on this forum almost everyday, I get more knowledge and more of my friends keep asking for advices. That's why I like to run things by you all sometimes as I'm still clearly limited. Anyway, he has enough information and I thank all of you again for the guidance.

Ok, good to get that out of the way and not waste a trip there. Thank you!

On a related topic, I used to read that applying for a TM30 could be done at the police station. Is that correct? Would it be possible for my friend and his gf to go to their local police station and do it tomorrow before they go Wednesday to immigration? Would the officers even know about the procedure? Thank you

Thank you, his plan is indeed to go Wednesday. I told him he could have done it earlier to avoid long queues, you are right. Will report back once the whole process is done, hopefully without hurdles. Thank you very much for taking the time, you guys are exceptional as always!

His extension ends a few days before the end of November, not sure the exact date. It is a few days after the last day of possible Covid extension. So, should be around 27-28-29 of November.

Thank you for that, the thing is he never did a TM30 so I'm not sure it would fly for him at police station.

Well, thank you so much for thinking about the finer details for me! Will relay all info and will suggest him to spend a night in a hotel that can do TM30 for him then. He will have all the documents required. His 90 day report is up to date, it just turns out to be expiring around the same date so he was hoping he could do it all at once.

That sounds like a neat trick. Thank you for that.

Thank you for your detailed answer. He had an Elite visa like me and I'm fairly confident that his last entry in Thailand was under Elite. Does that mean his Covid extension would be made at CW? Then that means going to MTT for TM30 and 90 days report and then following at CW for his extension. He will have 2 photocopies of each page of his passport, 10 photos and polite attire, he is a bit of an overachiever ????

Could you please elaborate on that? Asking sincerely. Thank you

Thank you for taking the time, I will relay all the information. He always apologizes for everything, I'm sure he'll fit right in at immigration ????

Thanks for your answer, my friend will be upfront and say that last time he asked an agent to take care of his covid extension as he wasn't sure what was required. He was never asked for a TM30 and is more than willing to correct his mistake. Do you think it's a bad idea? Also, as I understand the last covid extension was made in another province by the agent (typical I guess)

Hey guys, One of my friends will go do a Covid extension tomorrow (his second one). He is based in Bkk, so I guess that he has to go to MTT? His first extension was made through an agent, this time he wants to do it himself. Also, he has never made a TM30 somehow. They will require one from him, right? Can he do it over there as well? He lives with his gf in her house, no rental agreement. Can she just come with her blue book for the TM30? They'll pay a fine 800-1600B, is that also correct? Finally, he has to do his 90 days report at the same time, he can do it there as well? Thanks a lot, I know this is a lot of questions.

OP, take a deep breath. First of all, you are on the right forum, there are many people here that can guide you. Listen to their advices, they are usually accurate. You seem motivated and luckily for you, there are always opportunities here in Thailand to stay longer. Start by renewing your Covid Extension, don't wait, go for it on Monday. It'll give you time to plan ahead. By the end of the month, we'll know if they extend the Covid options for another 2 months. If they do, it'll give you more time and by then your future projects may be in place allowing you more options financially. Do not feel depressed and let time pass by, that's a trap. Keep grinding and you'll find options eventually. Things will be much easier if you get proactive. I wish you all the best and please keep in mind that there are no problems, only solutions. ????

That is very unfortunate and I feel for you, happens all the time in Bangkok.. That's why I always chose condo units where the views were already partially spoiled by other buildings. At least, I knew what I was dealing with and would not get unpleasantly surprised later on. I almost bought a unit in a building next to an abandoned plaza complex. The owner was adamant they would only build another plaza or restaurant. Unsurprisingly, a 30 floors building came up a few years later. I hope the market will pick up in the future and that you'll get your investment back + benefits in the long run.